Bucs preseason opponents announced

The National Football League today announced Tampa Bay’s four preseason opponents for the 2009 season, featuring home games against the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans and road contests against the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Tampa Bay kicks off its preseason schedule on the road against the defending AFC South Champion Tennessee Titans the week of August 13-17. The Buccaneers own a 6-1 all-time preseason record against the Tennessee franchise, with their most recent exhibition meeting a 20-17 overtime road win by the Buccaneers in 2005.

The following week (August 20-24), the Buccaneers travel to Jacksonville, marking the eighth consecutive preseason the two teams have met. Jacksonville leads the preseason series 5-2.

Tampa Bay will open their home schedule in front of a nationally televised audience for the second consecutive season as they continue their longest-running preseason series with the 2008 AFC East Champion Miami Dolphins on Thursday, August 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET on FOX. The Sunshine State’s first two football franchises will meet for the 24th time, with the Buccaneers winning the last two and five of the last seven preseason meetings, but the Dolphins lead the all-time series 14-9.

For the eighth consecutive preseason, the Buccaneers conclude their exhibition slate against the Texans. The Buccaneers, who host this year’s meeting on either September 3 or September 4, lead the all-time series 6-1.